Food culture is a
shared culture. There is no better way to
discover a region's identity or learn its
history than by tasting it. And for Iowa, that
means a journey through the cornfields to
find the culinary stories that make this state
unique and unite all Iowans. This website is a
delicious way to start that journey.

Wendy Wasserman
Publisher,
Edible Iowa River Valley

The flavors of Iowa
derive from a variety of regional and ethnic
traditions. There are fish and shellfish
supplied by the state’s rivers and lakes, the
fruits, vegetables and meats supplied by our
farms, and game from the flyways and woods.
Iowans produce food for community suppers,
cafés, homes, holidays, houses of worship,
restaurants, farmers markets, fairs, festivals,
and so on. Different groups that made Iowa their
home over the years have each added their own
distinct contribution to Iowa’s culinary
heritage.

The
following collection of food stories comes from
interviews across the state ~
each revealing a treasure of culturally unique
food traditions. These stories are a
selection from the many Iowa food stories.